Paying for Rell message

Published on 10/9/2009

At best the use of state money by the governor’s office to help frame a political strategy for managing the
budget crisis shows a lack of leadership. At worst it could be a violation of law. In any event, it is a waste of
money.

In an investigative story published by The Day Thursday, Staff Writer Ted Mann described the spending of
$220,000 under the pretext of finding ways to streamline government. Instead some of the money, at least, went
to helping Gov. M. Jodi Rell frame a politically popular argument.

Dr. Kenneth Dautrich, a professor in public policy at the University of Connecticut and a polling expert, used a
focus group to advise the governor to use certain “buzz words” to reassure the public, seven of which managed
to show up in Gov. Rell’s February address to the General Assembly.

Dr. Dautrich advises the governor to focus on highlighting consolidation efforts and decreasing administrative
costs. “Participants (in the focus group) agreed to reduce funds in judicial and correction categories,” wrote the
professor in a Dec. 8. 2008, memo to Chief of Staff Lisa Moody.

“Budget proposals that exclude changes in the income tax rate should capitalize on the public’s distaste for
increases in the personal income tax,” Dr. Dautrich advises.

Did the governor need to spend state money and employ a professor to figure out cutting waste and not raising
taxes are popular positions?

The Dautrich memo never refers to the best way to address the budget crisis, only the most politically expedient
way. And the governor followed the advice, holding out for months against an income tax increase and using the
right buzz words.

Most troubling is spending state money on essentially a political strategy. The Dec. 8 memo refers several times
to Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who has nothing to do with approving budgets, but who is a popular
Democrat and at the time was seen as a potential Rell opponent in 2010.

“Participants by and large said Attorney General Blumenthal is a strong leader they would have faith in to lead
them out of the budget deficit problem,” the professor writes of the focus group.

Given this, Dr. Dautrich recommends the governor to offer “a vision for the future of Connecticut” and act
“principled, consistent and proactive.”

A principled leader, in a time of crisis, does not use taxpayer money to research the popularity of positions
before taking them. She takes the actions she concludes are right, popular or not.